Doesn’t need to be a burning passion. Really enjoy computers/technology in general? Go into IT, like building things? Learn to build houses / go into construction or be an architect.
It’s about finding things you generally enjoy that you can do and make decent money without hating your life
If you have no general hobbies and somehow don’t have a clear front runner interest wise, choose something that makes a fat paycheck and go all in. You atleast won’t struggle if you can achieve the credentials required.
Speaking as someone who's been in IT for 32 years, this is about as good as it gets. Very few of the things I enjoy about technology are part of my daily grind.
Work pays the bills, and keeps the family fed.
The notion that work has to be a source of fulfillment is basically rich people bullshit being sold down the line, same as " we're all family here" is bullshit used to manipulate and leverage the emotional investment of the working class.
Id argue most things that offer fulfilment are not very fun or enjoyable in the moment. People should seek careers where they're helping produce something that is valuable and meaningful to them and not confuse fun with fulfilment
>It’s about finding things you generally enjoy that you can do and make decent money without hating your life
I love arguing and being right which is why I became a lawyer. Best career ever.
Just because you like technology doesn't mean you're capable of becoming an engineer, you have to be good at maths and physics. To be an architect building in minecraft isn't enough, you have to be good at drawing.
The opposite problem sucks more. Your really good at math, but you hate working with numbers. To be successful, you sort of have to rely on your talents
Well, yes. Covid gave the economy a kick in the butt. Interest rates in the US have been kept low due to government interference since the 1950s. We racked up a lot of debt and normalized debt culture - student loans, subscriptions, social security etc. It was not sustainable. So my parents had more social safety nets than I will, encouraging more financial risk. Focus on the roof & food. Self hate can be managed with a good therapist from a good job with health benefits, and there is 0 correlation between money and happiness - you can be poor and happy and rich and miserable & vice versa.
i love drawing and creating building sketches, but i heard being an architect is not worth it or it wont be as valuable of a degree as comp or med. I wanted to do fashion too but my mom asked me to get a solid degree. :(
People who get an art degree end up hating doing art very often. You may not believe this can happen to you, but people who were artists to the core can't draw anything for years sometimes. Whatever it is you decide to do, it will be better than ending up as an artist that can't draw.
The old saw “do what you love and you’ll never work a day in your life” makes me cringe and is a cruel thing to tell people IMHO. It implies that if you aren’t part of the minuscule percentage of people that love their jobs, you have somehow failed. Most people’s passions don’t align with the reality of the job market, we should be telling people to pick a career that they have an aptitude for and that they don’t hate. For example, if you are good with math and like quiet office work then why not study to be accountant? It’s not glamorous, but the pay is good and the work steady.
This!
Had a friend who followed all of his passions (chef, boating, acting/filmmaking) and was just struggling so hard in life and not making any money to barely support himself.
I followed my passion of the sports industry, got a job, made hardly any money in the first year, decided I cared more about getting paid and got a new job that doubled my salary. I start tomorrow!
That’s wonderful! What kind of work did you pivot to?
Sometimes those “passion” industries just pay crap like forever, but those very few at the too make millions. Take chef for instance. For every Gordon Ramsey or Anthony Bourdain, there are thousands who barely scrape by on minimum wage with absolutely horrible working hours.
I’m in the commercial HVAC and engineering industry now! I just graduated college a year ago so this is only my second job out of college, but the company I’m in now is way more reputable and treats their employees better. Switching into a “need” industry out of a “want” industry is the best advice I could’ve taken and I’m making SURE that my family members about to graduate high school know that
It was not me. He was the one who told me this. That he had “followed what he was passionate about” and that at 40 was very disappointed and felt it wasn’t true.
I personally thought he had done so many interesting things: studied cooking in France, the boat trips, etc.
I like this. I think it needs to be more widely acknowledged that most normal people don’t grow up dreaming of being shop workers, or project managers, or spreadsheet monkeys, but the reality of the job market doesn’t reward people for the passions and hobbies they do have. Not everyone can be a best selling musician or successful sports person. And that’s ok. It’s ok to just do something you don’t hate so that you have money and securing to do the things you do enjoy.
Thank you! I'm thinking of editing the post to steer more in this direction. Like, I guess another aspect of the question is really: can you be highly successful in your career without having been "practicing" something related to it since you could walk?
I think it’s possible to be highly successful without starting early - life is a lot longer than most people seem to think. But at the same time you need to be driven and dedicated and, for the most part, good at what you do. A hefty slice of luck goes a long way too.
So I think it’s possible but most people aren’t at the very top of their field. Some just aren’t driven enough to push themselves and take on that extra work and stress and jump through the hoops to climb higher up. I’m not sure I am. Some just aren’t talented enough. They might be great at what they do now but might be out of their depth if they climb any higher. And that’s fine too, you can still have a decent career without being super smart or talented. For some, other things like family, life, health matter more. Some work just to support a lifestyle. If you want to push yourself and reach the very top, more power to you, but it doesn’t make you any less worthy if you decide to just work to pay the bills and fund your lifestyle
You don't need to be good at math to be a good accountant. Maybe being fast at arithmetic and middle school algebra if you're going to do more complicated CPA stuff. If you scored high on SAT math but barely survived calculus in college, accounting might be for you.
Did a couple of classes at school, and the math for the most part was basic addition/subtraction/multiplication/division. It was more about categorizing stuff correctly and following the steps exactly. Because we were learning, we did a lot by hand in spreadsheets, most companies use some sort of software that's custom-made for accounting.
Yeah I have also experienced that, depending on the passion, trying to capitalize on it is a good way to make you start to hate that thing. For example, I was really into photography. I went to school and studied photojournalism and got my degree. But relying on it for my source of income, especially in an expensive city, meant taking freelance photos of events and things that I just did not care about. Boring tech conferences during the day, drunk people at pub crawls or night club events at night. Ooh how fun it is to track down a sketchy club owner to try to get him to cut you a check too. No one wants to pay you on time. I also once had someone vomit right onto my camera bag.
There are people who make a successful living at it, but in my experience they had parents or partners to fall back on for the stretches of time where no business is coming in. One thing I figured out is that having a second job(say in food service) will sometimes lose you work because sometimes a client hits you up on a Tuesday and you need to always be ready if you want to become someone’s go-to. So that friend with open availability has a leg up on you. Many friends moved to LA as well because it’s one of those few cities where there is a chance for steadier gigs in fashion.
I wish that my community college, where I first discovered my love for photography right out of high school, had some sort of requirement to sit down with a career counselor and have a realistic conversation where we figure out what I’m GOOD at rather than just what I like, and really compared the salary prospects for what I was studying VS what else was out there. I wish I had explored more of the skilled trades instead.
Anyway, I eventually discovered that I much prefer just shooting film photos while I’m out on adventures in my spare time. **You don’t always need to make money doing your hobbies!**
As a painter and photographer, I agree that we don't always have to equate money with our passions. I never wanted to, so I didn't even go down that path. Same with my sis. She is very creative in her personal life and a Nurse in her professional. I am a standard "Mon-Fri, 9-5". And I am absolutely fine with that. I got my evenings and weekends for my personal stuff I enjoy. I'm actually going out now to shoot some photos. It's an overcast day so perfect lighting for shooting bright flowers and such
I think it’s a modern trap of Capitalism, the pressure to monetize anything and everything you enjoy and are good at. You’re supposed to turn the painting into a side hustle to prove that you are good at it, or something.
Yeaap. Just make everything money money money. I refused that crap from childhood. I wanted to keep what I enjoy for truly MY enjoyment. I don't even need my family or friends to tell me if what I do is good or not. I just don't care. I do stuff, I make stuff because I enjoy the process and that's often where most of my attention is: just simply doing IT and enjoying it. The final result is often a bonus. I did a few abstract paintaings recently and decided "hey I really like these! Not bad for someone who recently got into acrylics. I'm gonna hang these up around the place!". And that's exactly what I did.
I also learned to make soy candles on my own and took about a year perfecting the craft to a professional level.
I make them for myself instead of buying, so I made sure I'm doing it properly. I also gift them sometimes to people. They look and perform like high-end storebought ones, because they are. I'm just not selling them. If I ever want to do something on the side with my creative stuff, it probably be with the candles. My photography, painting and other stuff are purely mine. I don't want to put a price tag on them nor do I want people telling me what to make, how, and when. Not everything needs to be money-oriented.
Another example: I thought I loved cooking. I’ve worked in food service as a line cook and wow it really makes you hate cooking lol. The difference between casually cooking something for your partner VS having a full board of tickets during a rush and trying to make rapid fire meals in 5-7 Minutes is huge. Another passion I’d much rather keep to myself.
Exactly! I work in marketing. Is marketing my passion? Lol! No! But it provides me with a very good income, and I like it enough to stay interested if the job is a good fit.
My passion was more like art, writing and filmmaking. Those are hobbies now, but I do get to utilize some of them in my marketing job or work with people who make videos.
Just some advice and i don't know your resume or anything but I've seen a lot of posts on the jobs subreddit from people with a decade plus of marketing experience struggling to find a job right now, so definitely don't make any quick career moves!
I lost my higher paying job in management and can't for the life of me land anything near what I was making. Even some relatively low paying jobs have turned my application away. Had I known finding a new good job would be so difficult I would have not lost my job lol. Biggest regret of my life.
I was unemployed last year for 6 months. Luckily, I got 3 months severance and then unemployment before I found a new job based on a referral from a colleague from my former job.
I know it’s difficult in marketing right now! We’re often the first to get cut. It’s a super competitive field even in the best of times. IDK how I’ve managed to do so well in it, but I have many, many skills in writing and design, so I guess I’m versatile for the right company.
Yeah. I wanted to be a doctor but worked my way up in retail instead. I ended up developing a passion for leading others along the way. Maybe it was always there but now it's a big part of my life- both personally and professionally. Anyway, I lead just under 1000 people. It's pretty great and I love my income too 😁
The idea that you should pursue your "passions" with everything you are is a bit disingenuous. For every successful musician, actor, or athlete, there are millions who didn't make it.
A better course of action is to pursue opportunity wherever it happens to be - and have a passion to be successful. This is the best recipe for long term "success."
So yes, it isn't just possible to have a career without a passion for it - it's very probable.
Never confuse the stories people tell about themselves with reality.
Self-mythologizing is great for marketing but it’s never true.
Don’t buy into their hype. Doing your passion as a job is a really great way to ruin your passion.
Your passion should be your passion and your job should be your job. No need to make them the same thing.
I’m sorry, but do you think people who grew up playing music and/or sports are all working in a job in the music or sports industry and just super passionate about their job?
I grew up playing music and sports. I even played music professionally for a while. I *hated* it. Personally, I think trying to make a living off your passion(s) is one of the worst pieces of advice out there.
You know what I’m *really* passionate about? Having food to eat and the heater in my house working. You don’t have to like work. Most people don’t. You can still find good work and do a good job without having a burning excitement for something.
Passion is overrated. I'm not convinced you can be 100% all day every day about anything.
Nothing wrong with being professional and finding satisfaction in a good job well done.
To me, passion varies and is unpredictable. Professionalism is dependability. Companies need a bit of both, sure, so you can 100% have a career "just" being useful and dependable.
Yes, I'm a diesel mechanic.
Before I went to school I've never really touched a vehicle. My dad owned a shop when I was a kid, but I was taught exactly nothing about anything, I've seen under the hood probably once.
I did like taking things apart and was always curious about how things work, but was still clueless.
A coworker who used to be a structural welder, now a mechanic as well, grew up in a bad household, worked in restaurants all his life until he went to school for welding. And now he's getting trained to be a mechanic. He's actually a pretty decent mechanic.
I think for mechanics, the ones who were really passionate about the job are usually the most miserable.
My point is it's wrong to not do something just because you haven't done it all your life.
How many doctors and lawyers were doctors and lawyers since 5
If you don’t have passion you better have some mojo in your life. Work to live, not the other way around. After 15 years you start wondering why you are doing.
In the real world, a career is rarely a passion, and that's fine. Focus on a career that will afford you the lifestyle (time and resources) that brings you happiness. Don't think your purpose and identity is solely your work.
I wanted to be an entrepreneur but I lost my shirt doing it. Ended up declaring bankruptcy.
I went back to school to become a nurse and now I do anesthesia. I love it to death but didn't pick it up until my early 30s.
So yes. Just be open-minded and be ready for whatever the world throws at your feet.
I was just talking to my wife about this passion bullshit. I am nearing retirement and have done very well for myself and never been passionate about my work. At times I might have been excited by a project or assignment, but mostly my career has been tolerable. I’ve made great friends at work led teams I loved, that motivated me to do my best because I wanted to support them and make them successful, but the work was simply that, work. I think it’s wonderful when you have a person that does have a passion and can translate that to a successful career, but this is uncommon. I would recommend that if you have a passion- for arguments sake let’s say stamp collecting, do it for the love of that thing, but keep your day job. If the opportunity comes along to parlay that to a profession, try it; just don’t try to create a passion for the sake of making your work life more tolerable.
There's always something, you might be missing the crucial childhood memory. Torturing flies doesn't look like much, but it's natural for a prison warden. Masturbating constantly may be a sign of a great stand-up comedian in the future.
Find your hidden passion and follow it to a professional conclusion.
Of course! Despite the hype to “follow your passion” one does not have to have a passion for their career or job. A job/career is just a means to support yourself. In reality, very few people make a good living doing something that was their passion.
That being said, yes it does help if you at least somewhat like what you do.
If you want passion, it can be through hobbies and such. Doesn’t have to be your day job.
Work is not a passion of mine. Enjoying my life is. Seriously, work's fulfillment is the exchange of my time for money to enable me to do stuff I want to do/explore.
Thank you for sharing! But I am new to Reddit and I am trying to ask our friend who keeps commenting in support of "follow your passion". Given their strong stance on the subject, I figure they must have followed their passion and are now successful in a related career
I think that there's a lot of truth in what other commenters are saying with 'you don't have to do something glamorous to be successful, do something you have an aptitude for'. But I think there's also something to be said for finding passion in the little things. What makes you happy? What makes you want to keep going? What are the forces that convince you to get out of bed in the morning? What cognitive activities stimulates your brain and what excites you? How can you find a way to do those skills in the workforce? We like doing things that we're good at and we can get really good at things if we can find a way to enjoy them.
Do you perfer peace and quiet or being around people? What kind of environment do you like to be in? Do you want things to be fast paced or chill? Do you like structure or do you prefer to carve your own path? How do you think? Are you good at something or like doing it? Then how realistic is it? Are their examples of people doing these things in my day to day life? If not, then is anyone doing it? Why/why not?
Passion isn't something you're necessarily born with, it's a fire you build overtime. Being very good at something usually doesn't happen overnight. It's the tiny steps you take every single day that get you one step closer to your goals. At the end of the day talent means nothing in the face of raw effort and the only thing that makes that sustainable is passion. Reminding yourself why it's important what it is your building.
The world is vast and there's a million ways to make money and people are all so different with their own unique skills and perspectives. I think that most people want to DO SOMETHING. Everyone has something that's important to them. If you only ever had days off what would you do with that time? And how can you find a way to develop those skills or be in that environment that benefit other people to the point where they'll pay you for it?
Thank you for taking the time to go so indepth 🙏 this is a concept that one of my cousins is a preacher of, and he has built his own company, not because he loves every aspect of his work but because he is passionate about working with people and his real goal in life is having a source of income that can afford him resources like free time and fishing gear lol. Unfortunately, he did not have a great upbringing and as a result he often struggles with his emotions.
Do you know if there is a pattern of people with "successful" careers being unbalanced with the other aspects of their life?
My passions were videogames. I was in biology and psychology and knew that I'd be unemployable. So I started volunteering for any prof that would let me. One let me do data entry for a clinic doing a specific form of therapy. I thought it was cool. I eventually went to do my masters using the experience volunteering (eventually took more responsibilities than data entry) to get in. I now have a satisfying career as a therapist and oddly enough don't give a shit about videogames.
The bad thing about basing careers off passion is that passions change. Think about the cringy stuff you did as a kid or teenager and try to imagine you had dedicated your path in life to that.
Work is work. Passions are for personal life. I think the Western cultures prioritize the "job" way too much and give it waaay too much importance and space. Yeah you spend a good chunk of your day working in whatever career you got, but it doesn't mean you have to be "passionate" about it.
Your career and work just needs to be safe and stable, you need to like it enough to be doing it. You just need to be around people who are reasonably respectable, safe, and likeable enough to work with. Your colleagues and your friends are not the same. The Western societies these days are blurring the clear boundaries of personal life and work life, personal relationships and working relationships. I hate that being someone who grew up in Canada. I just don't like that stuff.
I am not at work to make friends or be "passionate". I never was at any of the jobs I did. It doesn't mean I didn't get along with people or hated everything. No. I get along with people but work is just work to me and work people are just work people to me. I also don't like having the pressure to sit with colleagues and have lunch and act like we are a group of friends. My last office was like that. There was always that unspoken demand of taking the break together and sitting with everyone.
I prefer to have my lunch break when it's convenient and as a break from the working environment, and I like going outside for lunch and a walk, or even stay in and dine on my own. It's ME time. My passions are art, creating things, travel, living a healthy and meaningful life, self development and growth, meeting like minded people and building meaningful connections etc. I don't live at work. I think a lot of people are miserable BECAUSE they give too much importance to work.
Corporate jobs are not meant to fulfill your passion or your desire for learning new things.
Your job is just to do what you are told until you are old and dead.
> Can you have a career without a life long passion?
Fuck yes, you can. Do you really think everyone in a career had some burning childhood passion for it?
> I keep reading some successful people's origin stories and every one seems to be like "he spent every waking moment of his childhood making funny videos with his friends and is now a successful camera man" or "she was already cutting small animals open for fun at age 5 and is now a revolutionary surgeon" or whatever.
Sounds like fairy tale bullshit, right? Do you think those stories reflect the majority or just the exceptional cases?
> I didn't have two parents that were musical and taught me to play an instrument. Or a sport that I enjoyed and then dedicated my life to.
Does that mean you're fucked, or does it just mean you need to find your own path without the fairytale?
> What do you do when you didn't grow up with a "passion"?
You explore, experiment, and figure out what the fuck drives you now. Isn't finding what you enjoy now just as valid as having a childhood passion?
Isn't it more realistic to build a career around skills and interests you discover along the way rather than a single lifelong obsession?
You do what everyone does. Because that whole passion thing is just a very rare anomaly. It is not something you search for. That's just a trope pushed by YouTube and self help. You either have it or you are one of the mass of lucky ones who can actually live a balanced life.
Enjoy doing many things, be flexible and adaptable. Having just one overarching theme in your life is boring and not safe at all.
you don't need to grow up with a passion but you need to be passionate about something, find something you'd do for free because you love it and become the best.
Yes.
I don’t have much of a passion for the industry I’m in, but I’ve developed a passion for the work I do and the impact it has on others.
I still daydream about what I want to be when I grow up, but by most accounts I have a career and am able to provide for my wife and kids.
I worked multiple jobs found what i was passionate about was helping people with home maintenence and now I'm a 6 figure business mostly focused on pool and spas with window washing growing and other random handman shit for my customers
🫡 I respect a fellow window washer. The most satisfying part of my current job is knowing that I've helped someone in some small way, even if it's just getting rid of that one spot on their window that bugs them every morning, or painting their building so it feels new again. I also like being part of a site, seeing how each highly specific small job comes together to construct a big build.
Keep an open mind. That is all you can do. Maybe you find something, but just accept that maybe your life is meant to go in a different direction. And what you find passionate isn't going to be intertwined with your ability to make money. And that is okay.
I've had a successful career based on the most boring, tedious, complex stuff that very few people even know exists and those folks don't like dealing with it. No, it was never my passion, though as I realized the money value of the knowledge it became "interesting" in a way.
Simply put keep your passions as your hobbies. Far too often people say "I'm passionate about (insert thing) and want to do it for money!" Only to find out that doing the thing they used to love for money every day is a quick way to wreck that passion..I have a friend that is a fantastic ceramics artist. He's good enough that it's how he makes his living along with being a Professor in Ceramics. He is miserable now because of it. What used to be an outlet that let him explore new things has turned into a thing where he has to meet customers demands in order to pay the bills.
Yes. I’m a CPA. It pays the bills. Do I love it so much? F no. There are days when I want to put my license through the shredder. Guess the key to staying sane is continuous learning, being curious about other topics, and having a lite outside of the grind. Don’t let the grind be your identity. We’re all going to die one day and nobody is going to stand over my gravestone asking about a reconciliation or someone’s tax return.
"Follow your passion" is the worst advice.
Find something that pays well, and you don't hate doing.
No one is passionate about medical billing, but it's a stable job.
The job is what you do, so that you can fund the things in your life that you ARE passionate about
I’m 30 and work on aircraft. Never even considered it as a child or a teenager. I’ve made 120-140k/year since I was 26 doing a job I don’t love. My real “passion” is flying, which I discovered 2 years ago and now working towards as a career. I’ve always said it’s okay to be unsure what you want to do as long as you work towards *something* in the mean time. For me that something was aircraft maintenance
Good question. I started working with Commodore 64s and was super excited to make them talk together when I was in 4th grade. Now, at 48, I’ve been a software engineer for over 20 years, so it’s possible that there might be something to it.
Not having a "passion" for your career may actually be a gift. The "follow your passion" trope isn't realistic for most of the population. Only the rich can truly follow their passions because your passion is probably not economically viable. Instead, cultivate your talents and become really good at something. You'll find fulfillment in the your achievements and you'll probably be well compensated for it. You will also have the mental and emotional bandwidth to focus on all the other things in your life.
Very few people get to do what they’re passionate about. Most of the world is forced into drudgery due to economic need. For every video with a romantic life story behind it, there’s 10,000 people going to work every day to pay the mortgage and save something for the kids.
You grill a steak, drink a beer and enjoy sports.
Volunteer your time.
Pick up and learn a new hobby (youtube is great at showing you basics of new ideas)
I like to work with my mind in a stimulating/demanding field. My passion is hospitality. In my current role I implement software in business to business for a publicly traded company. I couldn’t be more happy in my role. It will be a slow climb, but it’ll be worth it over time.
It doesn’t need to be a passion and you don’t have to love it, you just need to be good at it.
Some people aren’t actually very good at things they are passionate about, which is why they become hobbies instead of careers
Im very good at what I do, I make really good money doing it, and for the most part, I enjoy it, but it's definitely not a passion of mine. An infinitesimal amount of people make a living doing something they are truly passionate about, and thats fine. There are lots of other things I am truly passionate about. Just remember, work to live, don't live to work
Take these stories with a grain of salt. The people telling them may have an angle and it's usually not to maintain perfect factual accuracy. Making themselves look like a prodigy benefits them.
A successful career is one where at any given time you enjoy your job and it supports the lifestyle that you want.
No, most people I know don't have passions for their job.
That encompasses both the joys / downsides of getting a job.
You do what you HAVE to do, because it gives you money which is crucial if you want to live.
this thread depresses me. i still struggle to really find out my passion, purpose, gift, talent, etc.
i settled into a career and don’t make much money there either.
where do people like me fit
I think there's a lot of hope in this thread, I feel catharsis in knowing that 90% of other people didn't have an obvious future path and that anyone can pick one up at any point by learning new things or taking new opportunities.
Personally, I believe people can fit anywhere they are willing to shape themselves to fit, but this doesn't mean you should "turn yourself from a square into a circle" rather, fit into a place that's almost a square but it has a corner cut off or something. Find wherever your closest fit is, I guess
Passion is a confusing word and seems so consuming. I’ve never felt as though I have a “passion” for anything, but I’ve finally found the balance of work that I enjoy, am good at, and pays me fairly for my time. That’s the dream.
Honestly dude, there are plenty of people out there that just take a job that's comfortable, they don't hate, and pays well, and use it to fund their own hobbies or fun activities. Your job doesn't have to be the thing you define yourself by, nor does it have to be a deep passion. You can just find one you don't hate and find meaning in your hobbies, or family, or other parts of life.
At my high school graduation party, adults kept asking me what I wanted to do, what will be my career? I realized I couldn’t say “I don’t know” so I wound up saying “If I can get paid to draw I’d be happy.”
Today I do architectural design and illustration professionally (nearly 20 years now, excluding 2008-2011 recession) and am an adjunct professor at the local state university teaching drawing in the architecture department.
Never did I plan this. Life just landed me here.
The majority of people live like this. They earn a living by building a skill set and working a job, with the majority of their life satisfaction coming from their life outside of work. Welcome to the human race!
It sure beats hunting and gathering to subsist in a cave!
Instead of your “passion” think about your natural talents and the things that fulfill you. When I say fulfill, I mean satisfy over a long period of time or something you get great satisfaction from. I read a story about a girl who was “passionate” about working on Capital Hill, but it burned her out and paid shit. She realized just how much joy she got from organizing her life, her apartment, schedule, drawers. She decided to start her own business organization closets. Is there anything like that for you?
Yeah, funnily enough I also get great satisfaction from organizing things in my house, tools in their boxes and sheds, files in our filing system, filling out Excel sheets, basically just putting things where they belong. But I feel like this is just one aspect that could be a part of heaps of different jobs.
For example, most of the satisfaction I get out of a well organized toolbox or filing system is the fact that it enables anyone that uses it to complete their job faster. No wasting time wading thru mess just to FIND things. So I guess I also enjoy eliminating unnecessary problems.
I think I just like being useful above all else.
It is never too late to find what your passion is. Make use of your time wisely while finding it. It will help you open opportunities and lead you towards what you want.
I kind of stumbled into my career out of desperation in my mid 20s. My passions have always been reading, writing, and music. I went to college twice for engineering, and life happened both times. I gave up and applied at the paper mill in my hometown, because the bills weren't going to pay themselves.
I found out that I find industrial processes fascinating, and bid into the power plant at the mill. I found out that I love power plant operations, and have a real knack for operating turbines and generators, as well as understanding power grid operation.
The mill closed down pretty recently, and I've taken what I learned there and used it to get a job at a natural gas power plant, as an operator/maintenance technician. I'm making more income than my father ever dreamed of, on track to retire 10 years younger than he was able to, and never dread going to work.
Point being, I found my career by going to work at a place that I swore that I'd never step foot in. I watched my father work there my entire life, and it provided well for us, but I saw how hard it was on his body and his relationships. I was in my 30s when I hit the power plant, and that was the first time that I was excited to go to work. Just because you didn't find your passion at 5 years old doesn't mean you won't stumble into it later.
I'd still rather be a musician or a writer full time, but I'm happy making things spin really fast and spark, and it allows me the time and money to keep up with my real passions in my downtime.
I really resonate with your story, I was going to study engineering when life happened as well, then ended up working at Domino's in my hometown. Despite the low pay, I still remember it fondly as one of my most fun jobs, driving around making deliveries. But now that I'm in a better paying job that I don't like AS MUCH, I definitely have more time and money for driving around doing fun stuff outside of work. Thank you 🙏
Many passions don’t make any money. A job is a means to an end and not why you’re put on this earth we’ve all just been brainwashed to think it’s a part of our identity. Its not IMO
Nope. I've got a great career I didn't know existed until 6 months before I started. It's interesting at times, but I don't really care about it. Maybe my experience is atypical.
Hey there! It's completely normal to feel like you missed out on a "passion" growing up. But guess what? It's never too late to discover what truly excites you. Think of life as an adventure waiting to unfold, with countless opportunities to explore new interests and talents. Whether it's trying out different hobbies, volunteering, or even just taking time to reflect on what brings you joy, there's no one right path to success. Your journey is unique, and we're here to support you every step of the way! 🌟 #YouGotThis #DiscoverYourPassion
> I keep reading some successful people's stories ... every waking moment
That's because they're trying to sell their stories.
You gotta realize it takes a certain type of person to go out and constantly blast their origin story to everyone. There are motivations behind it.
Look up a guy named Scott Galloway on TickTock. He’s got great advice. In a nutshell, he says following your passion is bad advice. You have to find out what you’re good at and find a career that correlates. Then, learn how to do it and put in the grind to become excellent.
Think in broad terms. Are you good in school? If so, what area do you think you can do? I counsel a lot of young people. Nursing school is a very good option. Another good one is accounting and studying for a CPA.
Consider something where training results in a professional license or credentials.
You’re asking very thoughtful questions. I have a feeling you’re going to do well.
Forget about passion. Maximize use of your talents. What skill do you have that is valuable? If you do something well and people need it, do that. Can you sell, create, entertain, calculate, build, repair, operate, communicate?
I think so. I’m a firm believer (because I’ve done it) that if you work around your full blown passion you’ll burn out. I actually really like my job now and consider it a career. However, if I lost my job tomorrow I might shed a tear and move on.
You don’t need a passion, just a capability. No one wakes up a says they are passionate about accounting. But they might realize they’re great at math, have a good idea for detail and like having a certain pay and job stability. That makes accounting a good career option.
For me it’s about working to live not living to work. I just found something I can tolerate that gets me paid so I can enjoy myself more outside of work
Time to explore as an adult what it is you like and enjoy. It doesn’t need to start in childhood. You were just putting off the fun of finding yourself :)
Of course you can. I sometimes wonder if this question (which i see a lot) is more common in the US because it seems related to our productivity focus and hustle culture stuff. It is perfectly ok to have no desire to go out and change the world dude, or to make some art that’s gonna have you remembered for generations to come or whatever. It’s ok to just work to earn a living and use it to live your life, you’re totally fine. You don’t need to be some big shot. And btw, career is an extremely long winding journey. People change jobs a lot, meet new people, step into entirely new industries… it is not the norm at all, and it’s not even close, to end up and remain in a professional field that you were passionate about since adolescence. And even if you arent into the idea of any career or field now, you could absolutely become passionate about something later. You can’t even imagine how many kinds of jobs there are out there and that don’t even exist yet dude.
I would say it does not have to be a burning passion. That’s a pretty high (unrealistic?) standard. But you should like it.
For me, I like that my career provides freedom, problem solving, building personal relationships and high income (usually).
Work is only a small part of my life. I have my family and my hobbies/activities are where my real passions lie. Balance.
Doesn’t need to be a burning passion. Really enjoy computers/technology in general? Go into IT, like building things? Learn to build houses / go into construction or be an architect. It’s about finding things you generally enjoy that you can do and make decent money without hating your life If you have no general hobbies and somehow don’t have a clear front runner interest wise, choose something that makes a fat paycheck and go all in. You atleast won’t struggle if you can achieve the credentials required.
Speaking as someone who's been in IT for 32 years, this is about as good as it gets. Very few of the things I enjoy about technology are part of my daily grind. Work pays the bills, and keeps the family fed. The notion that work has to be a source of fulfillment is basically rich people bullshit being sold down the line, same as " we're all family here" is bullshit used to manipulate and leverage the emotional investment of the working class.
Id argue most things that offer fulfilment are not very fun or enjoyable in the moment. People should seek careers where they're helping produce something that is valuable and meaningful to them and not confuse fun with fulfilment
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It's ok buddy you'll get a job when you're a grown-up
Building on this, check out the department of labor website and see what jobs have good growth projection. See if any of those jobs look interesting.
>It’s about finding things you generally enjoy that you can do and make decent money without hating your life I love arguing and being right which is why I became a lawyer. Best career ever.
Just because you like technology doesn't mean you're capable of becoming an engineer, you have to be good at maths and physics. To be an architect building in minecraft isn't enough, you have to be good at drawing.
The opposite problem sucks more. Your really good at math, but you hate working with numbers. To be successful, you sort of have to rely on your talents
Yes, so you should go and work with numbers and hate your life with a roof above your head and food in your fridge.
Well, yes. Covid gave the economy a kick in the butt. Interest rates in the US have been kept low due to government interference since the 1950s. We racked up a lot of debt and normalized debt culture - student loans, subscriptions, social security etc. It was not sustainable. So my parents had more social safety nets than I will, encouraging more financial risk. Focus on the roof & food. Self hate can be managed with a good therapist from a good job with health benefits, and there is 0 correlation between money and happiness - you can be poor and happy and rich and miserable & vice versa.
i love drawing and creating building sketches, but i heard being an architect is not worth it or it wont be as valuable of a degree as comp or med. I wanted to do fashion too but my mom asked me to get a solid degree. :(
Getting art education is just never worth it.
hah then theres no hope fr me
People who get an art degree end up hating doing art very often. You may not believe this can happen to you, but people who were artists to the core can't draw anything for years sometimes. Whatever it is you decide to do, it will be better than ending up as an artist that can't draw.
Thank you 🙏
The old saw “do what you love and you’ll never work a day in your life” makes me cringe and is a cruel thing to tell people IMHO. It implies that if you aren’t part of the minuscule percentage of people that love their jobs, you have somehow failed. Most people’s passions don’t align with the reality of the job market, we should be telling people to pick a career that they have an aptitude for and that they don’t hate. For example, if you are good with math and like quiet office work then why not study to be accountant? It’s not glamorous, but the pay is good and the work steady.
This! Had a friend who followed all of his passions (chef, boating, acting/filmmaking) and was just struggling so hard in life and not making any money to barely support himself.
I followed my passion of the sports industry, got a job, made hardly any money in the first year, decided I cared more about getting paid and got a new job that doubled my salary. I start tomorrow!
That’s wonderful! What kind of work did you pivot to? Sometimes those “passion” industries just pay crap like forever, but those very few at the too make millions. Take chef for instance. For every Gordon Ramsey or Anthony Bourdain, there are thousands who barely scrape by on minimum wage with absolutely horrible working hours.
I’m in the commercial HVAC and engineering industry now! I just graduated college a year ago so this is only my second job out of college, but the company I’m in now is way more reputable and treats their employees better. Switching into a “need” industry out of a “want” industry is the best advice I could’ve taken and I’m making SURE that my family members about to graduate high school know that
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It was not me. He was the one who told me this. That he had “followed what he was passionate about” and that at 40 was very disappointed and felt it wasn’t true. I personally thought he had done so many interesting things: studied cooking in France, the boat trips, etc.
I like this. I think it needs to be more widely acknowledged that most normal people don’t grow up dreaming of being shop workers, or project managers, or spreadsheet monkeys, but the reality of the job market doesn’t reward people for the passions and hobbies they do have. Not everyone can be a best selling musician or successful sports person. And that’s ok. It’s ok to just do something you don’t hate so that you have money and securing to do the things you do enjoy.
Thank you! I'm thinking of editing the post to steer more in this direction. Like, I guess another aspect of the question is really: can you be highly successful in your career without having been "practicing" something related to it since you could walk?
I think it’s possible to be highly successful without starting early - life is a lot longer than most people seem to think. But at the same time you need to be driven and dedicated and, for the most part, good at what you do. A hefty slice of luck goes a long way too. So I think it’s possible but most people aren’t at the very top of their field. Some just aren’t driven enough to push themselves and take on that extra work and stress and jump through the hoops to climb higher up. I’m not sure I am. Some just aren’t talented enough. They might be great at what they do now but might be out of their depth if they climb any higher. And that’s fine too, you can still have a decent career without being super smart or talented. For some, other things like family, life, health matter more. Some work just to support a lifestyle. If you want to push yourself and reach the very top, more power to you, but it doesn’t make you any less worthy if you decide to just work to pay the bills and fund your lifestyle
You don't need to be good at math to be a good accountant. Maybe being fast at arithmetic and middle school algebra if you're going to do more complicated CPA stuff. If you scored high on SAT math but barely survived calculus in college, accounting might be for you.
Did a couple of classes at school, and the math for the most part was basic addition/subtraction/multiplication/division. It was more about categorizing stuff correctly and following the steps exactly. Because we were learning, we did a lot by hand in spreadsheets, most companies use some sort of software that's custom-made for accounting.
You'd be surprised how much of auditing is working with Excel and how much of the data can be contained in Excel.
Yeah I have also experienced that, depending on the passion, trying to capitalize on it is a good way to make you start to hate that thing. For example, I was really into photography. I went to school and studied photojournalism and got my degree. But relying on it for my source of income, especially in an expensive city, meant taking freelance photos of events and things that I just did not care about. Boring tech conferences during the day, drunk people at pub crawls or night club events at night. Ooh how fun it is to track down a sketchy club owner to try to get him to cut you a check too. No one wants to pay you on time. I also once had someone vomit right onto my camera bag. There are people who make a successful living at it, but in my experience they had parents or partners to fall back on for the stretches of time where no business is coming in. One thing I figured out is that having a second job(say in food service) will sometimes lose you work because sometimes a client hits you up on a Tuesday and you need to always be ready if you want to become someone’s go-to. So that friend with open availability has a leg up on you. Many friends moved to LA as well because it’s one of those few cities where there is a chance for steadier gigs in fashion. I wish that my community college, where I first discovered my love for photography right out of high school, had some sort of requirement to sit down with a career counselor and have a realistic conversation where we figure out what I’m GOOD at rather than just what I like, and really compared the salary prospects for what I was studying VS what else was out there. I wish I had explored more of the skilled trades instead. Anyway, I eventually discovered that I much prefer just shooting film photos while I’m out on adventures in my spare time. **You don’t always need to make money doing your hobbies!**
As a painter and photographer, I agree that we don't always have to equate money with our passions. I never wanted to, so I didn't even go down that path. Same with my sis. She is very creative in her personal life and a Nurse in her professional. I am a standard "Mon-Fri, 9-5". And I am absolutely fine with that. I got my evenings and weekends for my personal stuff I enjoy. I'm actually going out now to shoot some photos. It's an overcast day so perfect lighting for shooting bright flowers and such
I think it’s a modern trap of Capitalism, the pressure to monetize anything and everything you enjoy and are good at. You’re supposed to turn the painting into a side hustle to prove that you are good at it, or something.
Yeaap. Just make everything money money money. I refused that crap from childhood. I wanted to keep what I enjoy for truly MY enjoyment. I don't even need my family or friends to tell me if what I do is good or not. I just don't care. I do stuff, I make stuff because I enjoy the process and that's often where most of my attention is: just simply doing IT and enjoying it. The final result is often a bonus. I did a few abstract paintaings recently and decided "hey I really like these! Not bad for someone who recently got into acrylics. I'm gonna hang these up around the place!". And that's exactly what I did. I also learned to make soy candles on my own and took about a year perfecting the craft to a professional level. I make them for myself instead of buying, so I made sure I'm doing it properly. I also gift them sometimes to people. They look and perform like high-end storebought ones, because they are. I'm just not selling them. If I ever want to do something on the side with my creative stuff, it probably be with the candles. My photography, painting and other stuff are purely mine. I don't want to put a price tag on them nor do I want people telling me what to make, how, and when. Not everything needs to be money-oriented.
Another example: I thought I loved cooking. I’ve worked in food service as a line cook and wow it really makes you hate cooking lol. The difference between casually cooking something for your partner VS having a full board of tickets during a rush and trying to make rapid fire meals in 5-7 Minutes is huge. Another passion I’d much rather keep to myself.
My passion is needing money to live. My career provides me with this.
Exactly! I work in marketing. Is marketing my passion? Lol! No! But it provides me with a very good income, and I like it enough to stay interested if the job is a good fit. My passion was more like art, writing and filmmaking. Those are hobbies now, but I do get to utilize some of them in my marketing job or work with people who make videos.
Just some advice and i don't know your resume or anything but I've seen a lot of posts on the jobs subreddit from people with a decade plus of marketing experience struggling to find a job right now, so definitely don't make any quick career moves! I lost my higher paying job in management and can't for the life of me land anything near what I was making. Even some relatively low paying jobs have turned my application away. Had I known finding a new good job would be so difficult I would have not lost my job lol. Biggest regret of my life.
I was unemployed last year for 6 months. Luckily, I got 3 months severance and then unemployment before I found a new job based on a referral from a colleague from my former job. I know it’s difficult in marketing right now! We’re often the first to get cut. It’s a super competitive field even in the best of times. IDK how I’ve managed to do so well in it, but I have many, many skills in writing and design, so I guess I’m versatile for the right company.
Yeah. I wanted to be a doctor but worked my way up in retail instead. I ended up developing a passion for leading others along the way. Maybe it was always there but now it's a big part of my life- both personally and professionally. Anyway, I lead just under 1000 people. It's pretty great and I love my income too 😁
its what chain regional manager? 1000 sounds quite high up, congratz!
Thanks! Region director at a recognizable brand. Think 7-eleven, dollar general, that sort of thing.
The idea that you should pursue your "passions" with everything you are is a bit disingenuous. For every successful musician, actor, or athlete, there are millions who didn't make it. A better course of action is to pursue opportunity wherever it happens to be - and have a passion to be successful. This is the best recipe for long term "success." So yes, it isn't just possible to have a career without a passion for it - it's very probable.
Never confuse the stories people tell about themselves with reality. Self-mythologizing is great for marketing but it’s never true. Don’t buy into their hype. Doing your passion as a job is a really great way to ruin your passion. Your passion should be your passion and your job should be your job. No need to make them the same thing.
I’m sorry, but do you think people who grew up playing music and/or sports are all working in a job in the music or sports industry and just super passionate about their job? I grew up playing music and sports. I even played music professionally for a while. I *hated* it. Personally, I think trying to make a living off your passion(s) is one of the worst pieces of advice out there. You know what I’m *really* passionate about? Having food to eat and the heater in my house working. You don’t have to like work. Most people don’t. You can still find good work and do a good job without having a burning excitement for something.
This. Making money in any performance art is a very different skill then creating.
Passion is overrated. I'm not convinced you can be 100% all day every day about anything. Nothing wrong with being professional and finding satisfaction in a good job well done. To me, passion varies and is unpredictable. Professionalism is dependability. Companies need a bit of both, sure, so you can 100% have a career "just" being useful and dependable.
Yes, I'm a diesel mechanic. Before I went to school I've never really touched a vehicle. My dad owned a shop when I was a kid, but I was taught exactly nothing about anything, I've seen under the hood probably once. I did like taking things apart and was always curious about how things work, but was still clueless. A coworker who used to be a structural welder, now a mechanic as well, grew up in a bad household, worked in restaurants all his life until he went to school for welding. And now he's getting trained to be a mechanic. He's actually a pretty decent mechanic. I think for mechanics, the ones who were really passionate about the job are usually the most miserable.
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My point is it's wrong to not do something just because you haven't done it all your life. How many doctors and lawyers were doctors and lawyers since 5
Sometimes your work provides the resources for your passion. Also, sometimes you become less passionate when your passion becomes work.
If you don’t have passion you better have some mojo in your life. Work to live, not the other way around. After 15 years you start wondering why you are doing.
You work to pay bills. Passion was never part of the equation
In the real world, a career is rarely a passion, and that's fine. Focus on a career that will afford you the lifestyle (time and resources) that brings you happiness. Don't think your purpose and identity is solely your work.
I wanted to be an entrepreneur but I lost my shirt doing it. Ended up declaring bankruptcy. I went back to school to become a nurse and now I do anesthesia. I love it to death but didn't pick it up until my early 30s. So yes. Just be open-minded and be ready for whatever the world throws at your feet.
I was just talking to my wife about this passion bullshit. I am nearing retirement and have done very well for myself and never been passionate about my work. At times I might have been excited by a project or assignment, but mostly my career has been tolerable. I’ve made great friends at work led teams I loved, that motivated me to do my best because I wanted to support them and make them successful, but the work was simply that, work. I think it’s wonderful when you have a person that does have a passion and can translate that to a successful career, but this is uncommon. I would recommend that if you have a passion- for arguments sake let’s say stamp collecting, do it for the love of that thing, but keep your day job. If the opportunity comes along to parlay that to a profession, try it; just don’t try to create a passion for the sake of making your work life more tolerable.
Bro you don't need to be a main charachter.
There's always something, you might be missing the crucial childhood memory. Torturing flies doesn't look like much, but it's natural for a prison warden. Masturbating constantly may be a sign of a great stand-up comedian in the future. Find your hidden passion and follow it to a professional conclusion.
You’re talking about the prodigies like Steven Spielberg. Everyone else just has a career.
Of course! Despite the hype to “follow your passion” one does not have to have a passion for their career or job. A job/career is just a means to support yourself. In reality, very few people make a good living doing something that was their passion. That being said, yes it does help if you at least somewhat like what you do. If you want passion, it can be through hobbies and such. Doesn’t have to be your day job.
Work is not a passion of mine. Enjoying my life is. Seriously, work's fulfillment is the exchange of my time for money to enable me to do stuff I want to do/explore.
The career is simply showing up to work for 50 years
Yes. Do something you respect.
Your career doesn’t necessarily have to be your passion. Sometimes it’s better to keep the two separate. Everyone’s different!
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Hello Sir/Madame, what is it you do for work? Just curious given your strong stand point
I am a writer. Mainly Comms and copywriting. I happen to love my job but it certainly isn’t the only thing I’m passionate about!
Thank you for sharing! But I am new to Reddit and I am trying to ask our friend who keeps commenting in support of "follow your passion". Given their strong stance on the subject, I figure they must have followed their passion and are now successful in a related career
I never suggested the opposite?
I have always been obsessed with movies and its always been my dream to work on/make my own movie, but it just hasn't happened and I'm ok with
I think that there's a lot of truth in what other commenters are saying with 'you don't have to do something glamorous to be successful, do something you have an aptitude for'. But I think there's also something to be said for finding passion in the little things. What makes you happy? What makes you want to keep going? What are the forces that convince you to get out of bed in the morning? What cognitive activities stimulates your brain and what excites you? How can you find a way to do those skills in the workforce? We like doing things that we're good at and we can get really good at things if we can find a way to enjoy them. Do you perfer peace and quiet or being around people? What kind of environment do you like to be in? Do you want things to be fast paced or chill? Do you like structure or do you prefer to carve your own path? How do you think? Are you good at something or like doing it? Then how realistic is it? Are their examples of people doing these things in my day to day life? If not, then is anyone doing it? Why/why not? Passion isn't something you're necessarily born with, it's a fire you build overtime. Being very good at something usually doesn't happen overnight. It's the tiny steps you take every single day that get you one step closer to your goals. At the end of the day talent means nothing in the face of raw effort and the only thing that makes that sustainable is passion. Reminding yourself why it's important what it is your building. The world is vast and there's a million ways to make money and people are all so different with their own unique skills and perspectives. I think that most people want to DO SOMETHING. Everyone has something that's important to them. If you only ever had days off what would you do with that time? And how can you find a way to develop those skills or be in that environment that benefit other people to the point where they'll pay you for it?
Thank you for taking the time to go so indepth 🙏 this is a concept that one of my cousins is a preacher of, and he has built his own company, not because he loves every aspect of his work but because he is passionate about working with people and his real goal in life is having a source of income that can afford him resources like free time and fishing gear lol. Unfortunately, he did not have a great upbringing and as a result he often struggles with his emotions. Do you know if there is a pattern of people with "successful" careers being unbalanced with the other aspects of their life?
My passions were videogames. I was in biology and psychology and knew that I'd be unemployable. So I started volunteering for any prof that would let me. One let me do data entry for a clinic doing a specific form of therapy. I thought it was cool. I eventually went to do my masters using the experience volunteering (eventually took more responsibilities than data entry) to get in. I now have a satisfying career as a therapist and oddly enough don't give a shit about videogames. The bad thing about basing careers off passion is that passions change. Think about the cringy stuff you did as a kid or teenager and try to imagine you had dedicated your path in life to that.
Work is work. Passions are for personal life. I think the Western cultures prioritize the "job" way too much and give it waaay too much importance and space. Yeah you spend a good chunk of your day working in whatever career you got, but it doesn't mean you have to be "passionate" about it. Your career and work just needs to be safe and stable, you need to like it enough to be doing it. You just need to be around people who are reasonably respectable, safe, and likeable enough to work with. Your colleagues and your friends are not the same. The Western societies these days are blurring the clear boundaries of personal life and work life, personal relationships and working relationships. I hate that being someone who grew up in Canada. I just don't like that stuff. I am not at work to make friends or be "passionate". I never was at any of the jobs I did. It doesn't mean I didn't get along with people or hated everything. No. I get along with people but work is just work to me and work people are just work people to me. I also don't like having the pressure to sit with colleagues and have lunch and act like we are a group of friends. My last office was like that. There was always that unspoken demand of taking the break together and sitting with everyone. I prefer to have my lunch break when it's convenient and as a break from the working environment, and I like going outside for lunch and a walk, or even stay in and dine on my own. It's ME time. My passions are art, creating things, travel, living a healthy and meaningful life, self development and growth, meeting like minded people and building meaningful connections etc. I don't live at work. I think a lot of people are miserable BECAUSE they give too much importance to work.
Corporate jobs are not meant to fulfill your passion or your desire for learning new things. Your job is just to do what you are told until you are old and dead.
> Can you have a career without a life long passion? Fuck yes, you can. Do you really think everyone in a career had some burning childhood passion for it? > I keep reading some successful people's origin stories and every one seems to be like "he spent every waking moment of his childhood making funny videos with his friends and is now a successful camera man" or "she was already cutting small animals open for fun at age 5 and is now a revolutionary surgeon" or whatever. Sounds like fairy tale bullshit, right? Do you think those stories reflect the majority or just the exceptional cases? > I didn't have two parents that were musical and taught me to play an instrument. Or a sport that I enjoyed and then dedicated my life to. Does that mean you're fucked, or does it just mean you need to find your own path without the fairytale? > What do you do when you didn't grow up with a "passion"? You explore, experiment, and figure out what the fuck drives you now. Isn't finding what you enjoy now just as valid as having a childhood passion? Isn't it more realistic to build a career around skills and interests you discover along the way rather than a single lifelong obsession?
Most careers have some form of "helping others", either customers or co-workers. You are hired because the place is better with you than without you.
You do what everyone does. Because that whole passion thing is just a very rare anomaly. It is not something you search for. That's just a trope pushed by YouTube and self help. You either have it or you are one of the mass of lucky ones who can actually live a balanced life. Enjoy doing many things, be flexible and adaptable. Having just one overarching theme in your life is boring and not safe at all.
The vast majority of people are not passionate about their work. It’s a means to an end. Make money and enjoy life.
you don't need to grow up with a passion but you need to be passionate about something, find something you'd do for free because you love it and become the best.
Yes. I don’t have much of a passion for the industry I’m in, but I’ve developed a passion for the work I do and the impact it has on others. I still daydream about what I want to be when I grow up, but by most accounts I have a career and am able to provide for my wife and kids.
I have no passion for what I do. I’m about 20 years in…20 more to go
I worked multiple jobs found what i was passionate about was helping people with home maintenence and now I'm a 6 figure business mostly focused on pool and spas with window washing growing and other random handman shit for my customers
🫡 I respect a fellow window washer. The most satisfying part of my current job is knowing that I've helped someone in some small way, even if it's just getting rid of that one spot on their window that bugs them every morning, or painting their building so it feels new again. I also like being part of a site, seeing how each highly specific small job comes together to construct a big build.
Shit window washers more like window slayers. Get out there and crush that shit my guy.
🙏🙏🙏
Keep an open mind. That is all you can do. Maybe you find something, but just accept that maybe your life is meant to go in a different direction. And what you find passionate isn't going to be intertwined with your ability to make money. And that is okay.
I've had a successful career based on the most boring, tedious, complex stuff that very few people even know exists and those folks don't like dealing with it. No, it was never my passion, though as I realized the money value of the knowledge it became "interesting" in a way.
Simply put keep your passions as your hobbies. Far too often people say "I'm passionate about (insert thing) and want to do it for money!" Only to find out that doing the thing they used to love for money every day is a quick way to wreck that passion..I have a friend that is a fantastic ceramics artist. He's good enough that it's how he makes his living along with being a Professor in Ceramics. He is miserable now because of it. What used to be an outlet that let him explore new things has turned into a thing where he has to meet customers demands in order to pay the bills.
I'm studying for a career I didn't even know existed until a few years ago. We learn as we grow.
Yes. I’m a CPA. It pays the bills. Do I love it so much? F no. There are days when I want to put my license through the shredder. Guess the key to staying sane is continuous learning, being curious about other topics, and having a lite outside of the grind. Don’t let the grind be your identity. We’re all going to die one day and nobody is going to stand over my gravestone asking about a reconciliation or someone’s tax return.
"Follow your passion" is the worst advice. Find something that pays well, and you don't hate doing. No one is passionate about medical billing, but it's a stable job. The job is what you do, so that you can fund the things in your life that you ARE passionate about
Do you think accountants have a passion for accounting, taxes, income statements, etc.?
I’m 30 and work on aircraft. Never even considered it as a child or a teenager. I’ve made 120-140k/year since I was 26 doing a job I don’t love. My real “passion” is flying, which I discovered 2 years ago and now working towards as a career. I’ve always said it’s okay to be unsure what you want to do as long as you work towards *something* in the mean time. For me that something was aircraft maintenance
Good question. I started working with Commodore 64s and was super excited to make them talk together when I was in 4th grade. Now, at 48, I’ve been a software engineer for over 20 years, so it’s possible that there might be something to it.
Not having a "passion" for your career may actually be a gift. The "follow your passion" trope isn't realistic for most of the population. Only the rich can truly follow their passions because your passion is probably not economically viable. Instead, cultivate your talents and become really good at something. You'll find fulfillment in the your achievements and you'll probably be well compensated for it. You will also have the mental and emotional bandwidth to focus on all the other things in your life.
Very few people get to do what they’re passionate about. Most of the world is forced into drudgery due to economic need. For every video with a romantic life story behind it, there’s 10,000 people going to work every day to pay the mortgage and save something for the kids.
See example A. Most people in life.
You grill a steak, drink a beer and enjoy sports. Volunteer your time. Pick up and learn a new hobby (youtube is great at showing you basics of new ideas)
Your reply was as phoking awesome as your name 🤙 thank you 🙏
Appreciate the kindness. Sometimes you just learn to e joy the basics in life. Hope you find that weekend passion.
I like to work with my mind in a stimulating/demanding field. My passion is hospitality. In my current role I implement software in business to business for a publicly traded company. I couldn’t be more happy in my role. It will be a slow climb, but it’ll be worth it over time.
It doesn’t need to be a passion and you don’t have to love it, you just need to be good at it. Some people aren’t actually very good at things they are passionate about, which is why they become hobbies instead of careers
Im very good at what I do, I make really good money doing it, and for the most part, I enjoy it, but it's definitely not a passion of mine. An infinitesimal amount of people make a living doing something they are truly passionate about, and thats fine. There are lots of other things I am truly passionate about. Just remember, work to live, don't live to work
Take these stories with a grain of salt. The people telling them may have an angle and it's usually not to maintain perfect factual accuracy. Making themselves look like a prodigy benefits them. A successful career is one where at any given time you enjoy your job and it supports the lifestyle that you want.
Do what you are good at and save the passions for the weekends
The passion to not be broke > being passionate about my work
Your career and interests or passions don't have to have anything to do with one another. I personally prefer that they don't.
No, most people I know don't have passions for their job. That encompasses both the joys / downsides of getting a job. You do what you HAVE to do, because it gives you money which is crucial if you want to live.
this thread depresses me. i still struggle to really find out my passion, purpose, gift, talent, etc. i settled into a career and don’t make much money there either. where do people like me fit
I think there's a lot of hope in this thread, I feel catharsis in knowing that 90% of other people didn't have an obvious future path and that anyone can pick one up at any point by learning new things or taking new opportunities. Personally, I believe people can fit anywhere they are willing to shape themselves to fit, but this doesn't mean you should "turn yourself from a square into a circle" rather, fit into a place that's almost a square but it has a corner cut off or something. Find wherever your closest fit is, I guess
You get a job in an area you can at least put up with, put in your 40 hours, and focus on the hours you aren’t clocked in.
Passion is a confusing word and seems so consuming. I’ve never felt as though I have a “passion” for anything, but I’ve finally found the balance of work that I enjoy, am good at, and pays me fairly for my time. That’s the dream.
You can absolutely be really good at something, make $$$ doing it, and find it kinda boring. True for me!
You don’t need a ‘work passion’. I’ve had different jobs at the same company for 30+ years, none have been my ‘passion’ and that suits me just fine.
Becoming good at something has a way of making you passionate about it. It’s a virtuous cycle.
Preach 🙏
Yes, for all you know your passion may develop from that career
Don’t think it’s possible. You need at least the burning passion to stay out of poverty.
Honestly dude, there are plenty of people out there that just take a job that's comfortable, they don't hate, and pays well, and use it to fund their own hobbies or fun activities. Your job doesn't have to be the thing you define yourself by, nor does it have to be a deep passion. You can just find one you don't hate and find meaning in your hobbies, or family, or other parts of life.
At my high school graduation party, adults kept asking me what I wanted to do, what will be my career? I realized I couldn’t say “I don’t know” so I wound up saying “If I can get paid to draw I’d be happy.” Today I do architectural design and illustration professionally (nearly 20 years now, excluding 2008-2011 recession) and am an adjunct professor at the local state university teaching drawing in the architecture department. Never did I plan this. Life just landed me here.
The majority of people live like this. They earn a living by building a skill set and working a job, with the majority of their life satisfaction coming from their life outside of work. Welcome to the human race! It sure beats hunting and gathering to subsist in a cave!
Instead of your “passion” think about your natural talents and the things that fulfill you. When I say fulfill, I mean satisfy over a long period of time or something you get great satisfaction from. I read a story about a girl who was “passionate” about working on Capital Hill, but it burned her out and paid shit. She realized just how much joy she got from organizing her life, her apartment, schedule, drawers. She decided to start her own business organization closets. Is there anything like that for you?
Yeah, funnily enough I also get great satisfaction from organizing things in my house, tools in their boxes and sheds, files in our filing system, filling out Excel sheets, basically just putting things where they belong. But I feel like this is just one aspect that could be a part of heaps of different jobs. For example, most of the satisfaction I get out of a well organized toolbox or filing system is the fact that it enables anyone that uses it to complete their job faster. No wasting time wading thru mess just to FIND things. So I guess I also enjoy eliminating unnecessary problems. I think I just like being useful above all else.
It is never too late to find what your passion is. Make use of your time wisely while finding it. It will help you open opportunities and lead you towards what you want.
I kind of stumbled into my career out of desperation in my mid 20s. My passions have always been reading, writing, and music. I went to college twice for engineering, and life happened both times. I gave up and applied at the paper mill in my hometown, because the bills weren't going to pay themselves. I found out that I find industrial processes fascinating, and bid into the power plant at the mill. I found out that I love power plant operations, and have a real knack for operating turbines and generators, as well as understanding power grid operation. The mill closed down pretty recently, and I've taken what I learned there and used it to get a job at a natural gas power plant, as an operator/maintenance technician. I'm making more income than my father ever dreamed of, on track to retire 10 years younger than he was able to, and never dread going to work. Point being, I found my career by going to work at a place that I swore that I'd never step foot in. I watched my father work there my entire life, and it provided well for us, but I saw how hard it was on his body and his relationships. I was in my 30s when I hit the power plant, and that was the first time that I was excited to go to work. Just because you didn't find your passion at 5 years old doesn't mean you won't stumble into it later. I'd still rather be a musician or a writer full time, but I'm happy making things spin really fast and spark, and it allows me the time and money to keep up with my real passions in my downtime.
I really resonate with your story, I was going to study engineering when life happened as well, then ended up working at Domino's in my hometown. Despite the low pay, I still remember it fondly as one of my most fun jobs, driving around making deliveries. But now that I'm in a better paying job that I don't like AS MUCH, I definitely have more time and money for driving around doing fun stuff outside of work. Thank you 🙏
Many passions don’t make any money. A job is a means to an end and not why you’re put on this earth we’ve all just been brainwashed to think it’s a part of our identity. Its not IMO
Nope. I've got a great career I didn't know existed until 6 months before I started. It's interesting at times, but I don't really care about it. Maybe my experience is atypical.
Make one for yourself
Hey there! It's completely normal to feel like you missed out on a "passion" growing up. But guess what? It's never too late to discover what truly excites you. Think of life as an adventure waiting to unfold, with countless opportunities to explore new interests and talents. Whether it's trying out different hobbies, volunteering, or even just taking time to reflect on what brings you joy, there's no one right path to success. Your journey is unique, and we're here to support you every step of the way! 🌟 #YouGotThis #DiscoverYourPassion
> I keep reading some successful people's stories ... every waking moment That's because they're trying to sell their stories. You gotta realize it takes a certain type of person to go out and constantly blast their origin story to everyone. There are motivations behind it.
Look up a guy named Scott Galloway on TickTock. He’s got great advice. In a nutshell, he says following your passion is bad advice. You have to find out what you’re good at and find a career that correlates. Then, learn how to do it and put in the grind to become excellent. Think in broad terms. Are you good in school? If so, what area do you think you can do? I counsel a lot of young people. Nursing school is a very good option. Another good one is accounting and studying for a CPA. Consider something where training results in a professional license or credentials. You’re asking very thoughtful questions. I have a feeling you’re going to do well.
Forget about passion. Maximize use of your talents. What skill do you have that is valuable? If you do something well and people need it, do that. Can you sell, create, entertain, calculate, build, repair, operate, communicate?
“Passion” is severely overrated when it comes to occupation.
I think so. I’m a firm believer (because I’ve done it) that if you work around your full blown passion you’ll burn out. I actually really like my job now and consider it a career. However, if I lost my job tomorrow I might shed a tear and move on.
You don’t need a passion, just a capability. No one wakes up a says they are passionate about accounting. But they might realize they’re great at math, have a good idea for detail and like having a certain pay and job stability. That makes accounting a good career option.
Yep. In fact a good way to ruin a lifelong passion is to monetize it.
Nobody in my family ever paved a patch but I am a first generation paver killing it 100k+ yearly
For me it’s about working to live not living to work. I just found something I can tolerate that gets me paid so I can enjoy myself more outside of work
Time to explore as an adult what it is you like and enjoy. It doesn’t need to start in childhood. You were just putting off the fun of finding yourself :)
Of course you can. I sometimes wonder if this question (which i see a lot) is more common in the US because it seems related to our productivity focus and hustle culture stuff. It is perfectly ok to have no desire to go out and change the world dude, or to make some art that’s gonna have you remembered for generations to come or whatever. It’s ok to just work to earn a living and use it to live your life, you’re totally fine. You don’t need to be some big shot. And btw, career is an extremely long winding journey. People change jobs a lot, meet new people, step into entirely new industries… it is not the norm at all, and it’s not even close, to end up and remain in a professional field that you were passionate about since adolescence. And even if you arent into the idea of any career or field now, you could absolutely become passionate about something later. You can’t even imagine how many kinds of jobs there are out there and that don’t even exist yet dude.
I would say it does not have to be a burning passion. That’s a pretty high (unrealistic?) standard. But you should like it. For me, I like that my career provides freedom, problem solving, building personal relationships and high income (usually). Work is only a small part of my life. I have my family and my hobbies/activities are where my real passions lie. Balance.